More Christmas celebration

During the week following Christmas, we got to spend more time celebrating with Patrick's family.  We missed getting together with Papa's family while we were away for my Grandma's funeral, so they all came to our house one day.  We had a fun time, and I think they all enjoyed getting to meet Finn.

We also got to have our Christmas celebration at Bobbi & Papa's house on Friday.  It was crazy and fun, as usual!  Finn was awake for the gifts this time, and enjoyed getting to open his own.

First Chrstmas present

mmmm, blocks.  yummy.

Baby's First Christmas

One of Molly's special requests this year - a pink "hoop-a-loop"

So excited!!

Elijah admiring the giant pile o' presents

Evan was excited about his gift from Elijah - Cars 2 movie!

The big girls are always so good with Finn!

Two crazy boys in their new shirts - This is what great looks like!

Bobbi knit all the kids a stocking with their name on it - Finn got his this year!

Yay stockings!

Finn in his santa outfit

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

We have enjoyed celebrating Christmas this year, and we aren't quite done yet!  On Christmas Eve we made some special hot chocolate with fun peppermint stir sticks, (so rich and yummy) ate some cookies, and read the Christmas story in the kid bibles.  The kids each got to open one book, one fun gift (they got pillow pets from Nana & Grandpa) and their stockings.  It was such a fun time!  The kids were very excited about everything.  Afterward we went to the Christmas Eve service at church and then got the kids to bed! 

The kids were up at their normal early bird time on Christmas morning.  We went in to get them a little earlier than normal so that we could open presents without rushing around.  Molly totally forgot what day it was!  But they were both so excited when they got downstairs and saw the presents. =)

We read Luke 2 and then had a fun morning opening gifts, and the kids got some special Cars 2 cereal for breakfast, and then we headed out to church.  Finn slept through the presents, but the big kids very nicely opened his gifts for him.  The kids had a great time playing with their new stuff all afternoon.  It was a pretty quiet day - so nice! 

Opening gifts in their Christmas jammies.

Cute baby - almost too big for his jammies. =)

Playing with gifts - Elijah's cowboy cap guns and holster, and Miss Molly showing off the hat to her southern belle dress up outfit.

We have also enjoyed spending this week celebrating and being together and eating some yummy special treats.   We made cinnamon roll pancakes (totally over the top, and crazy good) one morning and had fun snowmen milks another day.   Merry Christmas, everyone!

Christmas movie night

Patrick:  We're going to have a movie night!

Kids:  Yay!  Yay!

Elijah:  So, what are our choices?

Patrick:  A Clockwork Orange or Schindler's List.

Elijah:  Um, how about Mickey's Christmas Carol?

Finn pics

All bundled up to go looking at Christmas lights.

This is the hat, sweater, and blanket set that Bobbi made for him.

Christmas decorations

The kids chose and put on almost all the ornaments this year.  They did a great job!

The best part is looking at all of them.

This year Molly got to put on the star!

Number 3

We are having a baby! Our third little Shmuffin is about 8 weeks along, and is due August 8th. Another summer baby. We seem to be continuing several streaks here - each new baby in a different state, moving each time I've been pregnant ... lots of fun stuff. I am feeling pretty sick and miserable (also for the third time) but thankfully only actually puking occasionally. We were pretty excited to have a good ultrasound and see a healthy little heartbeat (right where it is supposed to be!) before Christmas, and to be able to tell both our families when they were all together for Christmas.

We are now especially thankful to be at least in the process of finding and buying a bigger house where there will be enough room for all five of us, plus any of all of you very loved people who might want to come and stay. =) We are in the waiting and hoping stage after putting in an offer on a house - our third in the past couple of months. We're praying that it will all work out, if this really is the house for us.

So, lots of big news.

A couple of Christmas pictures

Watching Toy Story 3 before heading to Bobbi & Papa's house to spend Christmas with the cousins. It was great to have a little down time during such a fun crazy day!

Elijah wanted to stop and read each new book that he opened.

Molly jumped down and ripped into her gifts - I don't think she's ever moved so fast! She is in love with this doll house.

I think we need to get him a chair ...

Warm and cozy

The kids got early Christmas presents from Nana & Grandpa of some warm puffy vests. They think they're pretty awesome. Molly just loves to wear hers around. (big surprise!)

Oh, Christmas Tree!

This is the first year since Elijah was just a little baby that we've been able to put up a Christmas tree. We were so excited to get it out! It was fun to show the kids all the ornaments and let them help. They loved decorating, and Elijah especially is very proud of the job they did. Most of the ornaments that we used this year were Patrick's or mine when we were kids. Elijah enjoyed finding our names on them, and "Elijah" and "Molly" on the few ornaments that we've collected for the kids so far. Molly knows which ones are hers, too, and loves to point out the letters that spell her name.

"Ooooo, shiny."

Look at what we did!

Elijah got the big job this year.

Admiring their work.

We're so thankful for our new place and the little luxuries we've missed lately, like having a Christmas tree. Merry Christmas!